ABSTRACT
A recurring spotlight in Bartlett’s plays has been a questioning of business world dynamics, beginning with his days as an Apathist through his more recent forays in television writing. Two aspects drive his plays: the power dynamics not only of the boss to underlings but also between co-workers and how the overlap between one’s private and business life can become so interconnected that the pressures from one realm can influence the other, especially since many workers find themselves spending more time with their work colleagues than their own family members. More specifically, his workplace plays explore the dynamic of workplace bullying, whether it be bullying done by one’s co-worker, boss, or the company itself. This chapter will discuss Bartlett’s decade-long exploration of bullying in the world of work by discussing two plays (Contractions and Bull) and two television series (Sticks and Stones and Press) that demonstrate Bartlett’s criticism of the pervasively destructive nature of business and its negative effect on and its importance – almost too much importance – in his characters’ lives.
